"To catch an S.O.B, you need a bigger S.O.B". That's the motto of Stewart Granger's boss in "Requiem For A Secret Agent", and Granger's character certainly fits the bill. From his often excessively violent methods to his valuing money above morals, he is not your typical suave and easygoing secret agent. His new associate is a young Norwegian who is just about the exact opposite of him (a pacifist with limited field experience), and what is interesting is that the film doesn't paint one as the complete "good" and the other as the complete "bad" guy; instead, it suggests that the truth is somewhere in the middle. Both of these men, but especially Granger, evolve through the course of the film: what the Bond films tried to do with the two latest Craig vehicles, this one accomplishes 40 years earlier in just 100 minutes. Despite his relatively advanced age, Granger is convincing in the physical aspects of the role; because of his age, he is even more convincing as a veteran at this sort of thing. The two main villains are smart, creepy, and have personality. My only major disappointment with the film is that the second-billed Daniela Bianchi has only about 20 minutes of screen time in total. **1/2 out of 4.
Review of Requiem for a Secret Agent
